Viator Travel Blog

For many travelers, the best part about a big, hectic, twelve-million-inhabitant Southeast Asian city like Manila is leaving it. But even for those with a taste for urban chaos, a day trip to the surrounding areas can provide a breathe of fresh air and a new dose of cultural perspective.

It might seem like off-season to those skiers in North America and Europe, but don’t wax and store your skis just yet for the northern summer. While you’re breaking out the grill and packing up your winter clothes, down in the southern hemisphere, the ski season is just about ready to get started.

Right in Vienna’s backyard is one of Europe’s most charming valleys. Less than an hour train ride from Austria’s capital city, travelers can abandon their city life for a few days in the country. More often than not, travelers touring through Austria tend to hit the major tourist attractions in Vienna and Salzburg but rarely visit anything in between. While both cities have much to offer in terms of art, culture and music, neither can compete with Wachau Valley’s striking landscape of towering mountains, vibrant green vineyards and medieval architecture.

Nepal is one of the most popular destinations in the world for trekkers. It is cheap compared to most other countries, has the world’s highest mountains, and offers hikers a chance to experience the unique cultures of Nepal’s highlands. Fully one-third of the great snow-capped Himalaya is contained within Nepal’s borders, and the opportunities to explore this vast zone are many.

If you’re considering a South American adventure but can’t afford the time and budget restrictions, don’t completely cross it off your list. Get the best the continent has to offer without sacrificing a second of action by visiting Ecuador- the country that has it all.

One of the best ways to see the canyon is to cycle, which is why I’m wearing a helmet and straddling a bike for the first time in, ooh, more years than I care to remember and readying myself for The Earthquake Canyon Bike Express.

Whether climbing Everest is at the top of your bucket list or you’d prefer a gentle hike through the British countryside, the world is full of jaw-dropping natural landscapes that beg to be discovered on foot. From Iceland’s otherworldly topography to unveiling the real Middle Earth in New Zealand, here are 10 of the best places to hike in the world.

To be perfectly honest, I’m not much of a driver. Sure, I hold a driver’s license, but as a New Yorker, it merely serves as a means as identification. I don’t own (or operate) a vehicle and I take the subway to work. So when the van pulled up for my Big Island ATV Tour Through Waipio Valley, and I saw the rows of rugged-looking four wheelers lined up—I could hardly contain my excitement.

My Small-Group Franz Josef Glacier Walk tour didn’t start on a glacier. Nor did it start on a helicopter. No, this tour started in the town center of Franz Josef, New Zealand, in the office of the tour guide, where excitement for what was coming escalated as I outfitted myself in glacier clothes.

While it’s a city full of culture and history, Granada also offers plenty of activities for the adventure traveler. Nicaragua’s neighbor, Costa Rica, is often considered to be one of the top Central American destinations for adventure travelers, but Nicaragua is an alternative since so much of the land is undeveloped. Today I spotlight five adventure things to do in and around Granada, Nicaragua.